MY WITCH 23: Ghosts of Elyon
by NotQuiteNormOld
Summary: WxC Caleb and the girls try to tell Elyon the truth about Phobos and Meridian, but that becomes very hard when Phobos teaches his sister to make ghostly images of herself to confuse her former friends and the rebels. Slight PxE implied..
1. Chapter 1

Caleb climbed the castle walls in silence; only hissing an impolite _'shut up' _whenever the passling Blunk began to speak, which was inevitable as apparently the smuggler didn't need to watch out for murmurers - he'd got into the castle, alone. Blunk. And now Caleb was pressing his fingers into the sticky gum and adhesive passling spit, which apparently combined with enough strength that Caleb worried if he'd ever get the stuff off. He should've worn gloves, but Will was talking and he'd left them behind when she'd handed him the backpack he was now wearing, though he could certainly remember the look on her face when he'd indulged in telling her what the pink goo was that was now smudged around his wrists as his hands sank into the mixture. Caleb glanced up at the window above knowing full well that Phobos would quickly know he was here; he only got one shot at this. "Are you sure this is the window you saw her in?"

Blunk nodded and Caleb grinned, suddenly wondering if the gum had finally clamped the poor passling's mouth shut. He pulled himself up with ease, wishing he hadn't bothered to take his over-sized coat, which threatened to slip off his shoulders, on top of the excess weight it had given during the climb. He hated to admit, but Hay Lin had been right when she'd told him he ought to get a better fitted jacket. But this was Julian's; a coat that Caleb could use to travel back to that moment when the man slung it over his freezing arms, as he tried to fight him off and cry out in panic. Caleb hadn't ever felt quite so alive as that day. Caleb slid onto the windowsill, and his eyes instantly surveyed the room, finding two guards dozing with their backs to him, and a familiar body sleeping peacefully on the bed. Elyon.

Caleb dropped to the floor - wincing as Blunk fell a little less silently than himself, but quickly recovered; two crouched steps before he was behind the guards, glad to get the sticky mess off his hands as he fastened the guards' helmets together, smacking metal against metal with enough force to knock the two guards out. "Gum?"

"Haha!" Caleb flipped his view to place a finger on his lips, warning Blunk silently not to make another noise, as Caleb was sure the passling would cause his own capture, though Blunk's smile fell and he became quiet. Caleb unfastened his belt, sliding it between the metals of guards' armor, tying the unconscious guards together before he stood tall; cautiously approaching the small frame, lying peacefully under heavy royal blankets of gold and red.

"Sorry to disturb your nap, Elyon, but we have to go." Caleb reached for the girls arm, but his hand wavered before he touched her; gently resting over the blue nightdress which contrasted horribly with the sheets and general decoration of her boudoir, Caleb didn't think she looked quite like a princess ought to, but didn't have time to contemplate the prickling sensation on the back of his neck as the doors crashed open and he whirled around to face the gleaning face of Prince Phobos, with his hands resting possessively on the shoulders of.. Caleb did a double take, just in time to see the body in the bed dissolve into smoke which seemed to diffuse into the thin air.

"Hmm.." Caleb didn't leave a chance for Phobos to complete his sentence; grabbing Blunk and hurling their bodies from the window, thanking Will's eccentric thought of giving him a parachute, as he heard Elyon's voice shouting out some sort of comment of shock.

Caleb pat down the straps digging into his chest as he searched for the cord Will had earlier been showing him, though he cursed himself for allowing his-self to busy himself with marveling at how prepared she'd made him and wondering how one, such aggressive being could hold so much concern - an anxiety she carried for him and others whether they deserved it or not, though he was glad to say that the passed days had been of full bliss, whence she'd been over for hours at a time to discuss Meridian and battle strategies; though during strategic matters he noticed that unless she saw a blatant fault, she didn't much disagree - instead only seeming to absorb his words like they might hold the most powerful of knowledges. If that was what she was expecting, he intended to meet and upraise the expectation: he was still quite unsure of how to impress her. She was too messy to like his perfected maneuvers; maybe the trick was simply to screw up. He found and pulled the cord, allowing the 'chute to pour out from it's encasing on the back of the backpack and hoist him gently through the air.

**...**

"Now do you see..?" Prince Phobos let Elyon peel out of his grip and stare out of the window with a look of uneased concern, and he found himself enjoying her misery if only because her greed to concern for her own well being deserved to reek fear and chill her. Elyon Brown 'Escanor' was a self-important child, who hid behind an innocent smile and childish remarks of adoration of infants and prospects of peace, though not well enough to disguise her self-empathic ways. At least while Phobos could admit to his greed of angst to become Godly, he was certain that his layer of morning for his lost life was not something Elyon would truthfully be able to claim to. Then, he also had to acknowledge, Elyon had never bore witness to their mother's beauty and laugh, nor their father's gruff voice and tired, yet wise eyes. Wise eyes that were always on Phobos; following him around the room and lingering with his father who refused other than to lean on the door-frames of any room his mother sought to give him a moment of her time alone. He swore his father knew. And he supposed that was where Elyon's unreputable greed along with his own had come - a man who knew that his children were to be abandoned at the disappearance, yet only smiled and slipped a hand under his son's chin; leaning his own against the child's forehead and muttering the words he should have know would not have sunk. _'Life is not a game.' _That was one thing Phobos encouraged to be proven wrong, by forcing the worlds to play before his father may he rest in the Heavens - Vasilis[0] Escanor would be proven wrong.

* * *

><p>[0] I have found that many names are relevant and incidentally 'Elyon' is greek god, means highest, or ascending (Princess to Queen get it?), 'Phobos' is a greek god and translates to Terror, and Wiera is a historical name that roughly means Faith (she visits Elyon though visions, ect. giving Elyon faith that she'll be a good ruler.) so the name Vasilis is an old Greek name meaning 'like a king' which I thought was good, because it's the queen who rules so technically Elyon's father would forever remain a prince when he married Elyon... I know, put way too much thought into this :L<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Susan Vandom leant against the hallway wall, waiting for her daughter to notice she was watching as the girl stuck up a poster on her door, only now recognizable to say _'NO ENTRY', _"Well that's subtle."

"Sorry mom, I need my privacy." Susan looked down to her pre-teen daughter; she was just turning fourteen and already Susan was being banished from her room. It wasn't a surprise for Susan, but it was disheartening, considering that the few days Will wasn't in bed when Susan got home, she was either out or on the phone. And _'Caleb' _was apparently the mystery boy of the moment, but when Susan had decided to delve in her old ways of teasing Will with questioning about gossip Will had only laughed with an over spoken_ 'Ew, no. Caleb?' _and then resorted to continuing to eat dinner with burning red cheeks that told Susan otherwise. Whether Will knew it or not.

"Sometimes _I _need to get in there."

"Why? It's my room! It's my stuff!" Susan opened her mouth with full intention to delve into the gritty facts that Will would soon be at an age where Susan would feel a little more comfortable if Will would be a little _less_ rather than more secretive. They had hardly spoken in weeks, and a part of Susan knew it had been happening since they arrived in this town, and part of her knew it was better because it meant Will was standing on her own two feet, but part of her had received the call from Tom Lair last month and hadn't been able to bring herself to talk to Will, who'd been at home, asleep with all of the lights left on, having been taken home apparently, by a boy she had a sneaking suspicion about being that of which Will had gotten up early this morning to visit. But then the phone went and Susan was glad to have another excuse to want access into Will's bedroom - being nosily worried wasn't likely to be seen as quite the excuse it was deemed to be in her own mind.

After a few long rings, Will heaved her door dramatically open and began rifling through mountains of clothes that Susan was surprised her tom-boy daughter had managed to collect, though the great majority was blue denim of pair after pair of jeans. "And it's _our _cordless phone!"

"Talk to me!" Susan coughed, though she was more focused on looking at the odd browned-with-age map of Heatherfield which was pinned like a poster to Will's wall - was that some sort of craze? She looked over to Will who rolled her eyes, "I mean _Vandom residence._" Susan smiled, raising an eyebrow as Will listened intently, and Susan silenced so as to hear the faint voice's buzz from the device. Will ended the call and made her way past, "Gotta go mom! Emergency math study group!"

"Phone!" Susan rolled her own eyes with a matching face of sardonic boredom which her daughter seemed to have adopted recently, but she smiled as Will huffed back, pulling on a jacket and pushing a necklace Susan had seen a lot of recently under her polo neck. Oh yes, Susan knew the secretivity from her own youth, pleasantly surprised that Will had obviously achieved with her odd personality what Susan could not deny had been brought to her using long lashes and early development. The necklace was no doubt a sign of affection and the boy was presumably a little less _'gross' _than Will had so often told her.

**...**

"Elyon just disappeared?" Cornelia leaned forward intently and Caleb frowned, having already been through this. He'd told Hay Lin to give him the phone, but she'd said no. He'd then told her not to call all of the girls, but she had. He'd told her to call Will, but when the African-American arrived, Caleb found out that Will had been last to know about the 'meeting' and informed by Taranee herself no less.

"Into thin air."

"Maybe you saw a hologram." Caleb's frustrated grimace tugged into a restrained smile; mostly because he knew that Will wasn't joking, though he knew she meant some form of magic to that effect.

Hay Lin, did not understand. "In Meridian? They don't even have HD TV!"

"Or TV, TV."

Caleb growled inwardly, knowing that this was going to be a long meeting, that was until hope reared in the shining form of Taranee - an intellectual who seemed to absorb knowledge. "Could be like our astral drops: if we can clone ourselves, couldn't she project a self-image?"

Caleb studied Will's thoughtful frown as she mulled over the suggestion, but he knew that she'd be no more knowledgeable on the subject than he or Taranee. "Maybe.. But why?"

* * *

><p>On another note.. TT, Msn tonight?<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you all for your reviews - I'm sorry if some of it's written in a way that's hard to understand, there may be three reasons for that. 1, it could just be my writing style all over (but I doubt it considering it's Phobos we're having problems with -which concludes my next 2 reasons. 2, I am using some 'olde' phrasing, medieval thought process would be written almost obscurely and I've tried to add some of that. 3, Some of this, you aren't meant to get yet - the villain in W.I.T.C.H. the cartoon was always totally shown to us, whereas I'm actually trying to hide some things; his parents are coming out early, Caleb is slowly dispersed, and many of his thoughts are meant to be a little odd - I'm trying to convey that we would never exactly understand Phobos; because he is a psychopath.

If you do find anything in particular, I am happy to reply to PMs, ect. with the answers, but if you cba then it shouldn't matter overall as through season 2 I'm going to try and make his 'mindset' develop with new information - he can't honestly keep thinking the Gods are on his side if he gets defeated, so he will become more clear from then. Happy readings :)

* * *

><p>"The Elyon decoy worked to perfection." Elyon Br- Escanor pressed her hand against the cold, textured wood, but jumped, knocking the door forward when a guard coughed behind her to alert her of his presence. She smiled innocently at him, before pushing the door open, well aware now that her <em>brother <em>Phobos and the Lord Cedric knew of her eaves-dropping, though she suspected they might only just think she'd arrived - an almost truth, considering she had only just followed Cedric here. They were quiet. Always quiet when together and she wondered really, if they got on as well as the other would claim when one was not around. She had only heard a sentence, but she could not feign a smile for these young men, who's eyes seemed to dance with a light. She hated when they were together, because then she was more likely to be caught out. She was in no way the princess they wanted her to be and Phobos would be ashamed if he knew how these halls seemed to have changed her for the worst.

"You were both right!" Elyon winced at the childish pitch of her own voice, wishing she sounded more feminine - she wished her voice flowed like Cedric's, which seemed to roll from his tongue with always a hint of a whispery noice, though she couldn't quite place the familiarity. Perhaps it was just familiarity to him; she often dined with him in rather to Phobos, despite her preference to the witty latter. But currently she had her own troubles that were far more concerning as to whom of Cedric and Phobos could make her laugh more. "They'll never stop coming for me! What can I do?"

Prince Phobos smiled, caressing a finger to trace a line of engravement on his large throne and seeming to think for a moment. In truth Elyon thought that Caleb was less of a threat, though Phobos warned that the poor boy's mind had been poisoned by that of a rebellion. It was a shame to think he should be wasted - a life spent fighting something someone so young surely couldn't understand, and a niggling thought had honestly noted that she had only noted before her 'ghost' had disappeared, how gently he had seemed to be going about wakening her. Elyon's eyes flashed up when Phobos stood and began decending the steps to her, "We'll need an army."

"Don't you already have an army..?" Elyon blushed as he took one step too close and could smell a musty aroma that she'd once assosciated with hippies; much prefering her own sprays of sweet scent, but now she enjoyed the thick perfume that emanated and oozed from the young man as he leaned forward and burned the soft skin of her chin with his fingertips. Like voodoo.

"Not of soldiers.." Phobos cooed, and Elyon wanted to gag at her own thoughts and her lack of restriction when her lips parted slightly in automatic reflex to looking into his dazzling eyes of powerful blue, silver spiking in from the very outer edges of the two perfectly circular iris'. "Of you."

Elyon nodded, her eyes lighting up before she squeezed them tight; eager to please and glad to show this trick, remembering how Phobos had seemed in awe as she formed her very first set of these 'ghosts'. Phobos and Cedric hadn't known exactly what to call her trick and she had chosen herself that they were ghosts of herself more than any other thing. Elyon felt a warmth glaze over her as she felt her magic pulse, wondering how she'd never noticed before. She opened her eyes and turned to find a mass of hundreds of versions of her own body - completely identical, though she was the one of whom Phobos slipped his hand onto the shoulder on. Yes, she was by far in a league above these objects of her mind's power.

**...**

Will Vandom yanked her door open, grinning childishly at the prospect of going to Meridian today. She had been a fair few times now, but with Caleb not for a long while and he'd seemed so damn happy with the idea of going back that it'd apparently worn off on her as she charged through the house, beaming.

"Mom! Hay Lin's having a sleepover tonight, so I won't be-" Will stopped in her tracks as she spotted her mother, rifling through her things - the portrait of her guardian state, she knew, had not been flung quite so detrimentally onto her bed when she had left, and frowned at the thought of her mother slipping it from it's safe place between her bed and the wall; preserved from dust and damage in a black shopping bag, set so that she could reach it easily if she should ever want to on a daily basis. Will closed her eyes, breathing out slowly and deciding not to make a big deal as her mother hadn't obviously been particularly bothered by the image, rather moving on to where she currently stood between piles of jeans and t-shirts. "What, the phone's in the kitchen."

"And your _clothes _are on the floor! The clothes that you promised to pick up when you cleaned your room last week, which you didn't do either!" Will bit back a retort, wondering if her mother would be so bold as to complain if she'd known that Will was a little busy battling a giant slug the night she'd intended to do it, and had been too tired at the late hour she'd got home - not that her mother would know, having not managed to return until deep into the blossom of early morning. "Will, you've got to start being more responsible around here!"

Will scowled, striding forward as her mother dangled the crusts of Will's earlier snack in disgust, grabbing them and throwing them into the bin her mother had pulled out, "I am way more responsible that you will ever know."

"That was your laundry hamper."

Will clenched her teeth together, her shoulders tense as her eyes stung with frustrated anger. "I just can't wait till I live alone!"

Will watched her mother's descending back, knowing that punishment was yet to come; if not now, soon enough. "Well you can live alone right her, in your room. Until it's tidy."

There it was. Will grabbed the crusts from the laundry hamper, desperately following after her mother with thoughts of Meridian and all that Caleb would talk about and how she wanted to see it and that if not today, he'd only ever remain her friend long enough for her to see it if she was consistant. She owed him that much at the least. "But that'll take forever! A-And the sleepover!"

"Not going to happen."


	4. Chapter 4

Caleb leaned forward on his perch atop a upturned garbage can, grimacing as the four girls resumed in their long silences followed by the same question they'd asked for thirty minutes now, only asked in a different way: "Where's Will? Without the crystal, we can't get all W.i.t.c.h.y!"

"Typical girl," Caleb frowned, he knew Will was not above torturing him with long waits that scarcely ever resulted in her, but he was quite sure that he would not manage much more of Cornelia's thick, engulfing perfume, which' stench seemed to coil around the inners of his throat and make his breaths harder to swallow. "Late, late, late, late, late."

"Excuse me!" Caleb glared with slitted eyes at the blonde, who's poison was provoking his headache, and thus bad mood. It was a joke that she was even bothering to sound offended, when he could simply work a charming smile over his face and she would undoubtedly hush. "We're here!"

Caleb took one final ragged breath and decided that as much as he had indeed planned to take Will's side himself, he doubted that her need for protection would suffer quite as much as his need for air. And punctuality. "I'm out of here. C'mon Blunk. Warm up your portal sniffer."

Caleb scowled at the ground and knew he was being childish, but the original excitement was wearing off and the adrenaline from the thought of going back to his weapons and maps had been replaced with a resentment for she of whom had allowed him to believe she'd actually pull through this time.

**...**

"What we done when we find Elyon?" Caleb frowned, but shook his conscience away as it told him about how he ought to have stayed. How Will could've been there in time.. Why would she be late? For all he knew she was dealing with bigger problems than Elyon. And instead of going to help her, manish pride was directing him to stride on with the annoying passling at his side.

"First we make sure she's real." Caleb glanced around; pulling his cloak a little further over his features, hoping not to be spotted in the meek 'daylight' that currently beckoned out several Galhots and mixed-breeds. Sure he wasn't being watched, he stopped and tured to Blunk, revealing to the small passling a Frisbee from Earth. "With this."

Blunk jumped for the frisbee and bit into it, "Blunk fetch!"

"You don't even make a cute pet! Miktó; gross!" Caleb yanked the frisbee away and slipped it back under the dark material of the cloak, before crouching down to Blunk's height. "Throw it at Elyon okay? If it flies through her, she's a.. A double."

"Or real bad catch!" Caleb shushed the creature without acknowledgment, his eyes on Elyon and his mind flashing back to how Phobos' hand had been resting so comfortably on Elyon's shoulder.. But Phobos wouldn't.. It was below the Prince's self-image, and Phobos would not still have Elyon's trust if he had as it was below Earthly standards. But he had to focus now. Caleb stepped forward, twisting the frisbee in his hand, ready to throw until he felt a tug on his cloak, "CALEB!"

"Shht!" Caleb span around, pushing his palm to cover the smuggler's mouth. A few recognisable people's eyes flashed over, but everyone knew better than to make a scene, epecially considering he'd been lucky enough that a guard hadn't been within earshot as far as he could tell.

Caleb glared daggers at Blunk, but the passling only pointed when he removed his hand from the slightly sticky green skin, "What we throw at her?"

"Uh-ohh.." Caleb gulped as he looked between the version of Elyon he'd just spotted and that which Blunk had pointed to. They were exactly identical as far as he could see; each in a long bluish dress and richly dressed with a jeweled assortment of accessories. His Elyon was smiling happily, her eyes gleaming as she looked over the baked goods of a stall, while Blunk's was picking and smelling the prettier of the flowers at the edge of a village.

"Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh!" Green eyes skimmed over Blunk and along the passlings small, lanky, pointing arm to the latter of the Elyons retreating, Caleb noted that the same was true for the other; though the one he'd spotted seemed to travel _away _from the castle. If Elyon was going to Phobos, Caleb couldn't be as cruel to risk sending Blunk and pointed the short being in the direction of the stalls.

"You take her, I'll take the other one." Before the passling could nod or disagree, Caleb was sprinting with skill between the crowds which had turned out to be thicker than he'd originally concluded. He reached the edge of the village's market and made his way toward the forest into which Elyon was walking, "ELYON! Catch!"

As soon as the figure turned around Caleb threw the frisbee and became sure that this was the one he wanted when a Lurden jumped between them, biting into the frisbee and crushing it. Suddenly Caleb's doubts dissolved into a feeling of gladness that Will wasn't with him. He already knew he'd been trapped as at least six more of the filthy Lurdens surrounded and covered him in a net. They roared as he was dragged away, and reaching for his belt his green eyes flashed. He'd forgotten his blade. His knife. He asked himself pointlessly how he could ever be so stupid, but he knew. He'd been far too adament to get here.


	5. Chapter 5

Will skidded to a halt, heaving huge masses of air in and out as she tried to calm her dizzying sight and blink away the blackness fading in from the corners, apologising to the group with stilted words, but Irma's voice boomed in loud and clear, "By the way, it's okay for you to wear that outfit. WITH A WATCH!"

"We ran out of Gossip!" Will grinned up at Cornelia as she felt her heart's beat physically make her quiver; running was bad enough, but at this time the cold air head caught at the back of her throat with every breath, making the entire chore harder to do, but she still saw humor in Cornelia's anguished features; woed with the thought of a lack of frivilous half-truths that Will could personally only ever see the petty side of. "We had to talk about school work!"

Will shrugged, "My mom grounded me. I had to go out the window."

"Well did you leave an astral drop of yourself?" Will quirked a half-smile as the girl's eyes widened and she knew they were thinking of the rickety fire escape that led down the side of her building. Her eyes however were scanning for someone else at that moment, and she sighed, knowing that Caleb would've left without her.

So much for their friendship; guilt eroded as she thought of how many times she must have let everyone down. But for this, she could blame her mother. "No. I want her to think I've run away and been mauled by bears!"

"Um.." Will's growing anger diminished as Cornelia shivered, "Can we _please _transform? I'm cold."

Will smiled, nodding as she pulled out the Heart, glad that although rudely, Cornelia had asked rather than demanded. "Guardians unite!"

**...**

Cornelia flew up, alongside the girls as they searched Meridian from above for Elyon. Cornelia's blue eyes swam desperately over the greyish scenery of the alternately dim world and prayed that today would be the day that they could find Elyon; if not to take her home, Cornelia only wished for a chance to apologise. Guilt tore over her and she could've lived so far better with Elyon's decision to stay if she'd only had a chance to ask for her friend's forgiveness. At least then she'd know that she had done all she could to save their friendship, and although it was a selfish thought, she wished more for Elyon's forgiveness than Phobos current defeat. If Elyon could be saved, she saw her job as done. "There she is!"

Cornelia's eyes shot to Will and she flew beside the redhead to look where her leader was facing. She was right. It was her. Cornelia felt a joy seep over her and she flew forward, cupping her slim fingers around her mouth to make her voice carry further, "ELYO-"

"Shht!" Taranee gently held her back, "First, let's find out if it _is._"

Taranee blew into her hand creating a small flicker of light that grew into a ball of shining orange flame, which Taranee sent flying towards Elyon and Cornelia's eyes widened, wondering what the heck Taranee was planning, "What are you-!"

"See!" Cornelia's pale blue eyes followed Taranee's outstretched hand, motioning toward the flame which had burst up, drawing itself attention, but Cornelia's mouth formed an 'o' as she looked to Elyon. "No shadow."

"Kinda.." Cornelia frowned, feeling a cool shiver of goosebumps on her upper-back and neck, "Dracula-ish.."

"Check it!" Cornelia turned to glance at Hay Lin, who smiled confidently as her hair blew in a wind that was only for Hay Lin. "This one's all mine!" Blue eyes again flashed to the figure of her best friend, but a strong breeze instantly caused the image to blur and disappear. Like a ghost. "You know, add some bleepy noises and this'd be a really cool video game!"

"There's another one!" Will had spotted a third image, who Cornelia realized was currently smiling politely to.. Blunk. Will smiled sardonically, "Bets?"

"Nah, she's talking to Blunk like she knows him.." Cornelia smiled, seeing the humor in the idea of Elyon actually being happy to talk to the stinky little pest, Will, however was staring in the opposite direction. "Plus, she's not holding her nose."

"Anyone notice these 'versions' of Elyon keep leading us further and further from the castle? And Phobos doesn't seem like the type to let her out of his sight.." Cornelia's eyes flashed to Will, wondering when Will might've met Phobos, though she let it go, looking instead to the rickety old castle, which' grey and blackened stone walls gave her chills, like a scary movie. The castle looked like it was centuries old, and seemed to only stand on the crutches of the very outermost turrents, and she suspected that much of the misshapen fort was held up by the invisible hands of magic alone, while black clouds seemed drawn around it, the sky growing clearer as it's closeness to the evil became less.

"Shh.. Quite guys.." Cornelia watched as Hay Lin closed her eyes; the Chinese girl's yellowish skin tensed as she listened intently, and Cornelia studied the way that Hay Lin's slitted purple skirt and it's long ties of ropey belt changed with her hair as the wind drew a new course from the castle towards her. Tranquility - an unfamiliar sense as of lately for Cornelia - filled her senses as everything seemed to hush around this one girl, who long pigtails fluttered calmingly and who's small, dark eyes suddenly opened. "She's there. With a man."


	6. Chapter 6

"Phobos?" Prince Phobos placed a smile over his lips, replacing his perfect posture with something more casual as he turned to the young Elyon, who was looking out of the window at a slight storm that was her own emotions.

"Something troubling you?" He drawled the words, not missing how her persona had tensed at his words and presence, despite her having been looking for him anyway. Such a child - her youth and her hormones were clearly her forboding, too displeasuring for him to even have uttered into his treasured Book of Secrets.

"Well.. No.." Phobos drew a large breath and closed his eyes momentarily over his frustrations with her, not to mention that as of yesterday he had changed his line, due to her questioning his choice of always wearing black. Her awareness was more troubling to him than Caleb's ever was, and as a result he stood now, before her wearing the palest of blues. [AN: As in comics] Elyon seemed to be wrestling her fingers slightly; a nervous mannerism he took with greater compassion, at least, to her biting lips and flustering with hair that usually accompanied fluttering lashes that made him want to spit on her. "It's just that.. My sketchbook was pretty important to me.. I wish I had it here.."

Phobos' eyes flashed over her then, and his false smile fell as he forced his hand to glide gently over her shoulder in a manner which could be seen as compassionate or flirtatious. His mother had drawn. It was a secret of knowledge which had been forgotten by all but himself and he wondered if Elyon had somehow absorbed the talent. "I shall make arrangements to retrieve it. But first, " Phobos' softened eyes grew hard, "Something to lift your spirits."

**...**

Will flew forward with as much speed as her wings could take her, wishing the girls wouldn't try to be so 'kind' as to slow themselves to her speed. She could handle catching up; she couldn't handle, however, the vast thought that Caleb was a smart guy. Smarter than Will was. She didn't doubt he'd figured out where Elyon might be. He'd apparently barely made it out of the castle already looking for Elyon, and she pleaded that Phobos hadn't caught him, if only because the young man scared the hell out of her - villains were meant to be ugly; horrific; unbearable to look at, while the prince Phobos' faultless, almost shimmering skin gave her shivers and created a pit in her stomach that she was glad to doubt was to do with his beauty so much as his sheer creepiness.

**...**

"For your pleasure, princess Elyon," Caleb's green eyes had not been missed as they flashed up, but Calebforced his eyes to the ground on sighting of the Prince Phobos. Cedric had already done enough; having gently laid his fingers on Caleb's cheek, smiling serenely as he remarked how Caleb had grown over the years. "A cup of tea, and a rebel commander."

Caleb ignored the sharp pain of a frustrated tears threatening his eyes, and looked up to Elyon trying to speak through the black gag; begging her. Pleading her. Cedric had not spared any details of how Phobos had planned to release him back to his former embodiment of the murmurers, and he could not deny the fear seizing his very soul and making his breaths hurt his lungs as he wished he'd waited for Will. He should have waited and now he was faced by Elyon in a way that made Caleb wonder how he'd missed the subtle resemblance of Elyon to her brother. Their brother. Her eyes seemed to stare at him in such a dead way that the Prince's malice would for that second, be more welcoming. "Caleb. You know, I always thought we were friends. But then.. You also led me to believe that you were from Earth, so I suppose your lies shouldn't surprise me."

"Now, now Elyon." Caleb's mind whirled through passing thoughts of whether Elyon knew of his origin, "He is practically your brother. Don't tease the boy."

And he found himself begging through the gag once again. His heart had dropped and the smirk that carried in Phobos' voice as his long pale hand roamed over Elyon's shoulder and arm in a stroking motion told Caleb that Elyon knew. Elyon knew and she now had no reason to trust him over her blood, who was now making Caleb's stomach lurch with his close proximity to Elyon, who didn't seem to mind at all. A few of the guards cackled at him, but Caleb's eyes flashed to the door which was thrown open as another guard rushed in; bowing down. "The Guardians are attacking!"

Caleb's heart; which he could swear had ceased to beat in the last few seconds as his mouth had gone dry, jump-started with several beats too fast a speed and he closed his eyes, praying rather, for Cornelia rather than Will. With Will he would choose his fear over shame. As if someone above was hearing Caleb's need for form of hope, Elyon's startled eyes looked between him and Cedric as Phobos walked toward the door whence the guard had came, muttering incoherently to Caleb's ears. But he could hear Elyon. "W-what does he mean?"

"Kin of generation Elyon, he means you should not choose to force blame, but feel empathy with him. He means that Caleb is only as old as you are, and that you should therefore perhaps be able to get along."

"No." Caleb's eyes had weakly risen to meet Elyon's as Cedric had muttered the words. She didn't know of his origin after all, though he suspected that Cedric was only covering Phobos' intention to tell her. He wondered if she'd feel any sympathy for him if she knew. "I thought he'd been tricked, but he's as bad as Will."

With that, Elyon had left, with Cedric in tow. The only thing Caleb noticed then was Vathek, taking slower steps to follow and dropping Caleb's salvation and by the sounds of it, Will's too. A dagger.


	7. Chapter 7

Some WxC as I've changed the story here.. (ehem, TT, this is where you gave me that wonderful image of Caleb in a dress :L :L) ..Enjoy!

* * *

><p>"Archers! Fire!" Will flinched as she flew, dodging the arrows; many of which Taranee was burning with a shield of flame protecting the girls. It was Cedric who'd called out, but Will's eyes lingered for a few seconds on the figure in blue that no-one else seemed to have noticed. A figure that only she would know on sight, but one who was then joined by that of Elyon brown. A figure who slipped his hands onto her shoulders with her head between. A figure she had hoped not to see today. Phobos.<p>

"Time for a big ol' chill pill!" Will froze momentarily, ignoring the rain she suspected a result of Irma's magic as steely eyes locked onto her and Prince Phobos' smile chilled her into ice; or maybe it was just Hay Lin, who'd blown the falling drops of water into frost, letting every one drop like a bullet and Will's eyes lost those of the perfect face, instead turning to Cornelia, who was looking - she was sure - at Elyon rather than the dark Prince. Will had to do something. The frosts started to clear slightly and Will's brown eyes flashed over an opportunity. Elyon was going inside.

As the fights ensued and the frost became closer to snow, Will flew out of the sights of what she expected to be most of the palace guard. All she needed was a way in.

**...**

Caleb forced his shoulder down as he rolled toward the great knife he intended to free himself with, but halted as he heard Phobos voice, "Elyon, go inside; to safety."

"Phobos!" Caleb tried to grab the knife, but it had clattered to the ground when the girl had cried out the name in protest. Only then did Caleb realize how his hands were shaking, and only then did he begin praying as Phobos' and Elyon's voices became a buzz of words, too quiet to be heard over the blood in his ears. Taking slow, quivering, but determined breaths, Caleb once again reached for the knife, thankfully too absorbed in twisting his hands to position the knifes blade between him and the ropes.

"Caleb..?" Damn. He'd dropped it again; the knife slipped past his hands and his shining emeralds moved to stare at Will, who stood at the doorway with shock crossing her features. But he didn't have time for her shock. Caleb started to feel his relaxing heartbeat increase as he tried to yell at her to go; beg her to stay; he wasn't sure what he wanted but knew it wouldn't matter. She had no idea what he was saying anyway and Caleb focused his energy on listening for Elyon instead, when he realized that Will was going to cut him free whatever he did; cursing at him in a rattled breathy tone. "Shit Caleb, you goddamn idiot.. You shouldn't have.."

Left. He shouldn't have left, but he couldn't have finished her sentence, because as she trailed off he realized she'd ignored the gag and intuitively gone straight for the ropes cutting into the skin of his hands and surely creating a great repetition of bluish lines horizontally over his arms where the rope was starting to prevent blood flow. Guards weren't exactly careful in tying their prisoners, though he would've expected more for himself - purely because Phobos would've struck the guard responsible for his less than perfect condition; would've feigned it as concern in front of his pawn, his sister. Caleb felt himself relax through Will's mumbling curse when finally skin collided with skin and he knew he'd been saved by a sweet defender angel in disguise; perhaps it was only delirium but Will's mumbling tone hushed when he began praising her his broken thanks through the black rag pulled over his mouth, and he felt the slight tense and knew that all to come was the release of the last strand of rope being sawed through by blissful salvation.

**...**

Cornelia watched with desperate blue eyes as Elyon's gaze momentarily flashed to her, but a man facing away took her arm in a gentle pull toward the door and she heard a smooth voice utter something intelligible to the recognizable bookkeeper; apparently Lord Cedric. Elyon, who'd already almost disappeared into 'safety', now seemed less reluctant to retreat with this man and Cornelia wondered how many of Phobos men felt comfortable with taking her arm as this did now; she didn't want to know and as the door opened to take her away, Cornelia reached out, "Elyon, wait!"

"We don't even know if that's her!" Irma's hand found her shoulder and Cornelia knew she was right, "Let's just go while we can okay. We'll get her next time."

"Um.." Cornelia's shoulders sank and she took a glance back to where Elyon had been, but now only Cedric stood; apparently transforming to fight. And then her swimming pool blue eyes flashed over the scene. "Where's Will..?"

**...**

She'd thought he was hugging her, when Caleb had spun around and instantly pressed himself into her, and her into the wall, but then the door creaked and she realized he'd pushed them into the shadows, to avoid Elyon, and.. "Elyon, I'm sorry you have to see such a violence from them."

Her breath ceased and her heart stopped as Prince Phobos' tender voice slicked into the shadows and Caleb pulled away his gag with his free hand; one she realized was clasped into hers wrapped behind her back and she wondered how he could be so calm to give her a reassuring smile now, despite the mention of his name that fogged into the background as she calmed herself in a green that told her he wasn't going to let go of her hand and he wasn't going to give her a reason to remain scared. Caleb wasn't going to let Phobos find her, and never once did it occur to Will that maybe he was hiding himself as much as he was hiding her away from the evils beyond the shadows of heavy curtain they hid behind now, though she could feel his pounding heart; except that it only made her calmer to know that he was so alive; alert. She was safer here than she'd been outside and for every unsafety that Phobos stood for that chilled her bones, she realized that Caleb was the safety that would warm any soul who should be as afraid as she was. Caleb would moan and fight, but at the end of the day he was there and she saw all of the reasons he must be the head of the rebellion for. He was best at being strong where others were weak. Phobos' and Elyon's voices seemed to fade and Caleb gave her a wry smile that she had nothing else to do but mirror; suddenly feeling like a child with a great secret who was hiding behind the couch with a box of cookies rather than hiding from uncertain death. She was glad Caleb had been in here. "Will.. You're always a little late aren't you?"

"Actually Caleb, I'd say that I am perfectly on time. You looked like you were about to pass out." Will grinned, glad that the mirth carried in her voice rather than the shaking fear that had seconds ago been dreading her. "Aren't you lucky I came."

"Aren't I lucky." Grassy green seemed to darken with a lack of urgency as Caleb studied her with a smile, and Will remembered how impressive he'd told her she was so many times for the few days she'd spoken to him between now and when she'd made up with Cornelia. Yes, wasn't he lucky.. Will beamed as Caleb stepped back, releasing her from the warmth, but pulling her out of the shadows by the hand when he'd checked the room was clear. "Now all we have to do is get out."


	8. Chapter 8

Irma Lair stared after the spot she'd last seen her brightly haired friend, and felt a thousand doubts swirl through her mind, but then Cornelia's scream hit like a stone against a window, shattering through as the wind swept up and Irma searched the skies for the remaining of the guardians, finding that Cedric had transformed and was smashing his tail in all directions of her guardian friends. Cedric lashed again for Cornelia and Irma threw herself forward with no doubts she would fight off any creature to save Cornelia, though Taranee was already throwing hit after hit of fireball and Irma changed course from Cedric to the shaking blonde; linking her arms around the girl and pulling her up with ease, ignoring the fear that seemed to ooze from Cornelia's paralysed, semi-concious state. Barely missing a tail, Irma shouted out for any help should get, "Hay Lin!"

The wind responded and Irma glanced back to find that Hay Lin's air was blowing down the icicles she had earlier formed with the girl, renewing her confidence until they fell over Cedric and a single whip of the tail smashed the ice into miniscule shards. Cornelia frowned, and Irma gently released the girl who'd seemingly wore off her shock as Cedric roared.

**...**

"Phobos.." Elyon didn't know what to say, and she looked to her feet with dismay as she realized that _her _ex-best friends were attacking and all she'd been think for the past few minutes was of how Prince Phobos had been pulling her away to the confinements of her room and he'd slipped his hand to her wrist. She'd been more evil than that though, and she wished she couldn't recall how she'd slowed her steps in testing; relishing in how to pull her fast his hand had slipped over hers. Longing for him to entertwine his soft, thin hands with her own, but knowing with the strongest dread that it wasn't anything to do with fear. No. As he'd taken her up the marble starcase and through the long corridors she hadn't been afraid at all, and she could even say that she was yet to feel a real fear, and any paling of her skin or trembling of her lips was purely out of embarrassment that she could be such a disgrace. That over all these days that Prince Phobos was rejoicing in having a sibling he'd always missed, but Elyon had only been contemplating whether or not she'd learned in history that Zeus had married his sister. Prince Phobos only wanted to give her the crown, but she only wanted never to have found him. She wished she could forget him, but found her eyes lingering on his' as his hand curled slowly around the handle of the door. "I don't want you to-"

"Caleb, Elyon. Caleb wasn't where we left him." Elyon's eyes widened with realization that he was right, and Prince Phobos sent her a reassuring smile to which she quivered. But then his smile grew a little and the warm thawed into cold. For a second every feeling of confusion for Prince Phobos changed to fear, though she quickly decided that the scary look in his eyes was only a reflection of how she was to look when he'd continued. "And the keeper was not outside when we came in."

And then he was gone, and then her heart began to hammer, and then she wanted to scream with rage, with anger, with the malice she held only for the girl who refused to let her be. Who cared, she'd wanted to ask him. Who cared that Will Vandom was skulking round the castle with her little possession rebel boy, when they could just try to get to her. She'd knock them away and make them wish they'd thought twice; she'd burn their very souls, and how she wished Will would just try to get to her. She'd hate to look though, for another second into the colour of mud, when Phobos' eyes were like sky and lightning. Silver and blue, and shining with their own constant light that held there because and for her. Will could just try and get to her.

**...**

Caleb glanced up at Will as he grabbed the heavy golden tray, shaking his head as he wished he could peel the damn smile off his face that seemed stuck there, rigid as he mused how he could be so lucky that she'd come in search of him. She was an idiot, that was how, and the grin hurt his jaw as he wondered how they were still alive; both clearly not cut out for their jobs as idiocy inspired over accuracy. Well.. It seemed to be becoming that way for him anyway, and he wondered if he might've caught it from her as she too smiled broadly, "Three.. Two.."

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><p>And that's it for today ;)<p>

Caleb's just remembered that he cant used the tray as a board if he's in a dress and has to change..

Also, ExP.. This is as far as I think I can go without swapping to M-rated (I'm pushing it too.. :L :L)... I am thinking of a CxExP-ish type one-shot which may be incredibly M-rated, without any.. extreme 'details' ..If you've read my 'When it all becomes a little too much' you'll get what I mean, but let me know what you think and feel free to add more Characters to this _x_x_ as the more of a challenge it is the more fun :L :L


	9. Chapter 9

On the silent one Caleb made a run for it with the tray, jumping onto i in mid-air as he flew out of the door over a cluster of guards who seemed stunned and began yelling after him when they realized who he was. His smile came away easily now, with no redhead in sight - he'd told her to go the other way and use a window; he'd had no clue that the guards wouldn't be waiting for them, but luck seemed to be on his side today and he took the initiative that if he was ever to flaunt that luck to Cedric, he'd have to do it while he still had it, therefore making a quick decision and a left turn. The Lord was full transformed, and he'd expected no less with Elyon passed and the guardians shooting various combination and attacks at the beast; no wonder Will had suggested he 'snowboard' out, considering that he'd quickly declined her offering to fly him - he didn't care for flying much with any of the girls, but he was well aware he'd near enough strangled her last time Will had been so kind. The board bumped when it hit the tail, but Caleb took pleasure in the pained hiss that followed his momentarily digging in the dagger to the Lord so as to keep the board on track; quickly recovering and scaling halfway up the creature before the momentum started to give and he ran up the rest of the climb, jumping off and running, and hoping to hell Will had had enough time.

**...**

Elyon Escanor took small steps after the Prince Phobos; she'd slipped her shoes off in her room when she'd decided that she could easily rid Phobos the trouble of having to risk himself for her, and she wondered if worry had made Prince Phobos[0] forget that she was the one to have bat them away last time, and then she'd had no concept of her powers at all; she was growing, and surely he would see when she came out to defend, that Elyon was not a mere child who needed nurturing. No, he would see a young woman and he would be reminded that she was strong. Elyon took small, fast steps down the marble staircase; a rush of cool air hitting her wrist and hand, but she ignored it along with the icy hardness of the stone against the bottoms of her bare feet.

**...**

Will ran through the hallways and corridors, pushing her limit until the walls blurred because she couldn't stand the yellowish-bright walls and the frames of smiling royals which seemed to close in around her; it felt as though they were watching and instantly as Caleb had left the general perimeter of her reach she suddenly felt very, very alone in this mansion of looming stone walls. And it was cold. And it was eerily bright and she wondered how Elyon could stand it her, and she wondered if Elyon would ever take their side when she'd seemed so comfortable with her brother and Will wondered how it had been so easy for Elyon to make a bond of siblings when Will found it so hard just to make a friend. Will didn't notice as Elyon's greyish eyes zoned onto her and followed as Will slowed to halt, her heart's pace doubling in the next second and suddenly Will Vandom wished she hadn't let Caleb say no to her flying him down. "Prince Phobos."

"Hello Will." She was going to be sick; she needed to be sick, but it was never going to happen if she couldn't breath as flawless features smiled almost politely to her and her eyes didn't know where to go as his hand slipped over a door handle, but she found herself entrapped within a steely cocktail of blue and silver which flashed with a warmth that she was sure scared her more than any hatred he might have scorned her with. Her brown eyes were released, finally when he looked to the door she realized he'd pushed open and Will found herself transfixed as he bowed his head slightly, as a gentleman would in old films when they pulled out a chair, or.. Held a door for a lady. "Your dependents are waiting to go."

Her dependents? "M-my girls.."

Her voice had been released as a small, high-pitched noise while she'd been expecting barely a breath, but his head tilted back, then forward again in a single nod before his eyes darted from her to the door and Will found herself backing through and running once more; somehow faster than when she'd been pushing her limits.

* * *

><p>Pointing out a few things... (you don't <em>really <em>need to read)

[0] Note that in her mind it's always full title rather than 'brother' or 'Phobos' - Elyon thinks fairly formally of him, and the constant 'Prince' implies she thinks he is very important ;)


	10. Chapter 10

"Phobos.." Her voice hadn't even reached the volume of a whisper, but maybe the sound of the tears which happened to by scratching at her eyes had somehow reached the bare breath as Prince Phobos' eyes met hers, filled with shock and fear. "Y-you let her go.."

He seemed stunned; quietly stunned; too stunned to formulate words and Elyon breifly wondered if he'd been aware that he'd done it or if Will had seen her lingering in the hall and cast a spell on him to spite her. Because she was the leader; the one who tricked them all into joining her side, and the young Prince would surely not pass the chance to stop her. Prince Phobos surely would not be so bold as to bow his head down and to bare Will a smile far more flirtatious than he'd ever presented to her... And then she remembered that she was his sister and of course _any _smile to _any _girl would always be more flirtatious than any which he'd send in her direction, so of course he would smile in such a way to Will. Because he could. Because he didn't _like _Elyon. Because he didn't belong to her and because it was wrong for her to want him to. "Your friend is just a girl."

"She is _not_ my friend." Elyon's eyes widened as she wished she could soak back up the spitefully cast out words and she wondered if an apology was due to Phobos for her cynicism, when he was only trying to gift her a kindness. He had only let Will go for her and it was a simple mistake to make, but Elyon found she couldn't find the right words, so she was only left to explain herself to the soft gaze he had on her. Her eyes, however, found her bare feet before she could speak. "She did this."

And then Phobos walked away and she suspected his eyes had followed her own to see her childish state of being out of her bedroom without socks or shoes, because she found herself going slightly red as she kept her gaze firmly down; never officially seeing how he left, but only noting the silence after his shadow moved across the floor and the door clicked softly behind him. At least if he got angry she was sure it was better to hate him.

**...**

The archers had reloaded when Cornelia and Hay Lin had spot him and taken Caleb under the arms, but he'd stalled them he was sure. At least he had tried and he was sure he'd mentioned something of Will, but the memories fazed when they landed and the girls had become children again and his stomach had dropped; sinking further when he found Will at the portal, having had been paled significantly since he'd seen her and only climbed through and closed the portal in silence, and he waited then until they all slumped onto a bench before he'd started pacing. His mind going wild and his eyes constantly flashing back to Will, who'd sunken into the shape of the bench as if hoping to be absorbed into it - she wasn't noticed though, being surrounded by four others too tired to ask questions.. But his mind was on fire and he'd almost dragged her away when Hay Lin yawned and spoke, "..So.. Anyone know anything about a, uh, missing sketchbook?"

"Nnnoo.." Irma leaned casually back on the center of the bench; her leg supporting as Hay Lin's pillow as her mouth grinned lazily, her eyes closed due to lack of energy to keep them open. There was only the bare wood of the bench on her otherside, and Will a little further, wedged in at the very furthest edge of the seat. "But you win the random question of the day award!"

"I overheard Elyon talking to Phobos about it.." Cornelia gasped then and in his periferal vision he saw the blonde sit a little straighter, except that Will's eyes had flashed to him and he had almost jolted at what he saw. He knew that look and he was quite sure he might have had that look not an hour before now and it scared him to think why Will's current urges revolved around wanting anything but here: the urge to run was a killer which created chaos in many wars, but as he considered this quaint, waif of a being with eyes that outweighed any of the other's souls, he wondered if maybe he would let her go. Let her run and escape and try and find a way around risking her body and her soul and her eyes to that of his own evil world. He shook it away though, as he did with many thoughts about the futures of little Hay Lin and his beaus - these children of Earth who deserved his affections if only for the sake of coddling them - because these thoughts always came back to Will. The muse of the group - not a muser in herself, but one to be studied and flared up in importance; not because she was their leader, but because there was no damned other reason for her to be here. He'd asked her in fact and Will's reaction had pained him that she replied quite clearly and frankly. _'Because I'm here to help you'. You_. Him. Maybe she had meant it in another way, but it seemed to intensify every slight pain he'd ignored from injury over the years and the guilt she'd left him with had been more immense than the gesture of if she'd really stayed for him alone. But as said, he shook it off before the pain would find him again.

"Her favourite sketchbook!" Caleb's pace didn't quicken, but instead became more defined and prominent and if his eyes defied him again, he'd only force them to stop at the blonde each time instead. He wondered if Will wouls notice his action, or further still that she'd see through the facade to the pit of worry at his stomach, because he knew he'd let her go if she asked him. He'd want her to stay, but he'd certainly not dare keep her a moment long in the bounds of uncertain death. He frowned as Cornelia seemed to almost jump up from her perch on a bench with it back to the other girls, but she sat down at the last moment with a gleeful light in her eyes of happy memories, "I gave it to her for her eighth birthday!"

"If it's still here on Earth, maybe we can use it as bait. Get Elyon back to Earth." He forced the words out in short, hopefully coherent sentences as he stared in the opposite direction of Will, still sat not quite close enough to the girls. Focus. "Maybe even long enough to talk to her."

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><p>Okay, this has gone from WxC to WxC AND PxE, though I'm only particularly 'pro'-WxC... I am starting to like PxW from the last chapter though...Opinions?<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

Elyon Brown's house had not been touched since the Browns had left for their 'holiday', and the hedges Mrs Brown had so often been commended for were now misshapen and grown out of proportion to what used to look like a magnificent house, though now it stood, almost looking sunken; depressing down into the mud and long grass that climbed now an inch from over-ruling the meager white fence that surrounded, though the fence itself now seemed greyish, with the paint already peeling away and chipping as though the would-be princess and her false family were the houses life force. If her stomach hadn't already felt heavy, Will was sure the sight would have created a pit as she walked over bent and contorted plates of stone that feebly claimed to have once been a path and with a glance at the blond, Will wondered if perhaps Cornelia had done this - whether aware or not, the blonde seemed to have the ability to make the mud dry and crack when she was provoked to anger, and Will had seen this in the corner of her eye a few times, never thinking much of it until the giant slab of earth Cornelia pulled from the ground revealed her power. Maybe Cornelia had been here, but Will doubted it only because of the thick cobwebs that seemed to have edged across every window and door. Cornelia might've come, but one look and her cleanly friend would have turned away to find elsewhere for her mourning. There was enough mourning here coming from the house itself, and Will walked into the house with closed eyes - the reasoning itself, she couldn't account for, but she only found herself opening after hearin a few clicks, and Hay Lin noting, _"Power's down."_

And so they'd fished out torches; it was Cornelia who knew where they were, in a drawer in the eery kitchen that stank of moisture that told her not to even bother looking in the fridge. Elyon had been gone all of three and a half weeks at the most and as her own torchlight scaled the room, Will paled at how the drying corpses of fruit and orange-skins she was sure would cave on touch looked like they were the result of someone being at least two months missing. The house truely did seem to be decaying faster than it should and Will saw it as a meaning of the magic police officers would soon look over as mystery. Elyon Brown's holiday could only last so long...

"Not under here." Will only said it to break the silence that had been looming since they'd reached Elyon's bedroom, and winced as her voice boomed into the silence.

"Nothing.." The pain in Cornelia's voice was evident and Will's eyes lingered on the back of a cashmere pink sweater, of a brand far too expensive and flashy for Will to ever consider shopping for, but then she remembered where she'd meant to be going when she'd ran into eyes of glass that peirced her and inserted a breeze directly through the inners of her veins. Prince Phobos was beautiful. Stunning. And that scared her more than anything. Cornelia turned around and Will felt the cold brush her face when the blonde smiled waterily, "Except for the shoes she borrowed last year."

"Well, she must've hidden it in some girly fit of paranoia." Will snorted at that, and felt a little better to see Caleb leaning against the wall; safety from the storm that lay in Phobos' eyes. Caleb wasn't afraid of anything.[0] Cornelia smiled for real too, and Will was glad that the rebel boy could cheer up her friend with such ease.

It was the smile and the roll of the eyes of Cornelia that turned a minute feeling of humor from Caleb into a smile of Will's own as Cornelia closed Elyon's closet, looking at Caleb through the blue-black darkness of the room. "Yeah, says you who stuck the dagger in his belt."

Was that where he'd got the knife, she'd desperatly sliced at his ropes with? She wondered if she should tell him that it was rubbish and she'd probably have got through his bindings fast with her teeth alone.. Will felt her cheeks heat, though and decided against the joke, glad when a phone's ringing interrupted her thoughts. "Ooh. We're supposed to be at the sleepover!"

* * *

><p>[0] Will has already forgotten how he'd looked like he was about to pass out with angst and fear when she came to the rescue... Selective memory works for all of us though..<p>

That's an extra for what I'd planned to write today... Lets just say I got WITCHed up on msn :L


	12. Chapter 12

Caleb watched with disheartened eyes as Will remained silent; Hay Lin's father had called and claimed them to be at the mall, but only four girls started calling out praise to outfits they couldn't see, while Will remained soberly unmoving. That was until the dial tone beeped and the girl's eyes roamed to Will aswell. "Y'know, I think I'll just stay here and keep looking. I've run away from home anyway."

She'd run away? Caleb wondered why, but Taranee jumped forward to Will, shaking visably with fear for the crawlies that were bound to lurk. "You're gonna stay here alone? It's kinda creepy.."

"Believe me, it's a mom-free zone. I'll be fine." The girls seemed happy with that; the youngest speaking their farewells casually over the shoulde as Caleb stood, unsure of what to do. He couldn't leave her, but he couldn't exactly stay, so he let Cornelia make his decision for him when she took his wrist forcefully to pull him from the room, before showing the upmost hypocracy and walking back in. There were a few muffled voices and Caleb was about to re-enter the room when Cornelia slipped out. He could hear Will, talking to herself - a funny habit, though not particularly at this time, but Cornelia practically shoved him down the stairs and he noted the judging look he'd been getting from Taranee when he'd went for the door one last time before rethinking his actions. He was mid-formulating an excuse based around Phobos and Will's safety and the Heart when Cornelia spoke up, not entirely convincing him..

"She's fine. Let's go."

**...**

"Alright... Peace and quiet.." Will swung forward and back on her heels, looking around the dark, dusty room before bending down and flicking on the television.[0] "No mother telling me what to do.."

She flopped back on the bed, flicking on the torch and off again as she listened to the brash noise of some action film and was steadily reminded of the night of the fire, where Caleb had left and she'd suddenly realized she was so unbelievably alone, eventually turning on every light and appliance in the house that would give the effect of something.. Living. She'd never felt more alone in her life, but somehow the buzzing and voices of TV characters and the general high pitched wailing made it seem a little less daunting and she'd finally been able to sleep. But when she testily closed her eyes her surroundings automatically faded and were replaced by only the sound of a polite drawl and the vision of pale, apricot white with a smile that ought to be to die for. Will sat up, opening her eyes wide and pushing the torch light on to survey the room. The only thing worse for Will, than feeling alone.. Was not.

"Nice and peaceful.." Not satisfied, but knowing nothing was there, Will listlessly dropped the torch and brought her knees to her chest, unsure whether the night or Prince Phobos himself was sending her shivers too vast to ignore. "..And really cold.."

**...**

_"Wilhelmina Vandom.." Wilhelmina was stood in a large corridor when the voices whispered past her ears, and she found her burnished russet eyes scoping the long, dark, greying stone walls and dragging them over the room until the decided upon and locked onto a door which cracked open and she was quite sure she could see green and the bright, vivid pinks and purples that allured her in this drear. She would not have had her thin porcelain fingers a centimeter from the golden brass spherical handle when the door clicked closed, against natural will as there was no breeze, and Wilhelmina looked to find a hand, almost delicate as her own, pressed against the door. It had a masculinity though, and Wilhelmina searched up thin, spindly forearms until terra-cotta met a silvery-blue so clean that it's only natural place might be the wings of a rare butterfly or a flower more elegant than Wilhelmina's messy nature had ever been prone to. Her mother had always kept her away from the flowers when she was young, much due to Wilhelmina being far more intregued to find what lay beneath the soil, but that was neither here nor there as she stared into a pair of soft, yet sharp eyes._

_She opened her mouth, after long, silent seconds; not entirely so as she was sure that it was not a trick of the mind that the mantra of her name was being repeated from within the bounds of the door securing the room. She opened her mouth, though, and found that there was no moisture, so she closed it again, revering in the save worshipable feeling of liquid coating her tongue, and thus allowing her the privilige to speak. She re-opened tout, distent lips, this time successful in creating a sound. "They're.. They're calling my na.."_

_The rest of the word 'name' fell short however; as her eyes focussed on the single finger he'd brought up to almost touch her lips - unsure whether she was glad or disheartened that his skin did not reach so boldly onto her cherry reds to touch or lightly caress. But she would never know how soft or firm his handshake would be, and there was to be no physical contact with this man who almost shone with transcendental light that made the plain Wilhelmina think of Lucifer. Perhaps that was who this man is, and Wilhelmina was somehow aware that the word in his language would refer to something of that was shining, but what her mind instead veered to was the fallen Angel who lost his wings and had the devil replace them. A bitter-sweet smile crossed this Lucifer's face and his hand fell and reached back for the door - Wilhelmina faintly wondered if he might be keeping her from heaven. But the man only tsked. "Murmurers, child; they will tear out your soul if you let them."_

_And then Wilhelmina felt the weight pulling her to want to open the door for one peek, and the weight of the thick heavy dresses and corsets and jewelleries that held her in her place, when finally Will decided. She only wanted to run..._[1]

Will opened her eyes and was about to suck in a breath she'd apparently been holding in her sleep when she heard the heavy breaths she could fairly surely not pin for Caleb or the girls. A glance at the Heart; half concealed by the thickness of Elyon Brown's pink and purple duvet, told her that something was wrong, as the crystal pendant shone in a glittery pink she had learned not to mistake as a pretty colour. The buzzing, too, Will suspected was not coming from the television, and she quickly found herself to be right as she peeked up at a door Cornelia had told her not to open for privicy, and felt the energetic pulsing brightness of the portal reflect from her face. Covering the Heart, Will watched with her best attempts not to pant from the chilling nightmare she'd awoken from and saw the beastly sources of the heavy breaths. Lurdens - Will hid beneath the duvets as the creatures sniffed around, bumping into a kangaroo toy that spoke in a nasal-attempt of an Australian accent; the voice buzzing a little from dying batteries as it captured the Lurdens' attentions. #_G'day mate! My name's Joey!#_

Rustling and sniffing ensued, and Will waited until the creatures seemed to be either riled or laughing when she whispered for the Heart to transform her. Within a flash she was upright; standing on the bed and apparently the transformation had created a breeze, which made the tips of her ruby locks to ruffle. Will had no time to lose though, as she'd spotted a pink covered book she'd pay to bet was what she'd been looking for, and grabbed the closest thing to her - throwing the pillows and following after to kick one of the pair in the face, "I'll take that!"

The second lurden seemed to recover and when she went for the book in his hands he fought back, leaving Will not entirely sure what happened when another force seemed to throw her across the room, but then Will saw the first Lurden through dizzy vision, and she blinked hazily at the black screen of the television, wishing she'd hit the wall rather than the cold, dead radiator. The Lurdens left quickly; obviously not seeing a threat in a fairy who couldn't even see properly and Will waited until the spinning room stilled, before picking up the single scrap of paper which had been teared from the book and pulling out her phone.

* * *

><p>[0] I believe I quote.. "Power's out." ;)<p>

[1] Note that it's in a more.. 'Olde' tone... Sorry if that makes it a bit hard to read, but please - I coulda gone all out with shakespearean.. :L :L

**Btw.. Dont wanna disappoint, but this may be it for tonight.. Sorry.. :/**


	13. Chapter 13

Elyon Escanor sat on a bed which wasn't where she would usually slept, and wondered if it might be more comforting had Prince Phobos or Cedric been there to keep her company in the room, dug out of a mountainside. But the Prince and Cedric were looking, Elyon was aware, for her sketchbook on Earth, and Elyon had been left to hide beneath the ground from her terroristic brainwashed friends. She knew the Prince had left her with a selection of books and a few other items, which she'd technically asked for when she'd so rudely uttered that she wouldn't want to wait for him, but in the end Elyon was still here, on a perfectly made bed, sitting in a slim, bare lilac dress, with nothing to do in her mind, but wait.

**...**

Cedric watched the two, tiring Lurdens shiver from the cold outside of the mountain, staying quiet as Prince Phobos took the book roughly from their grasp, and Cedric swore he almost saw a glimpse of an emotion he didn't recognize in the Prince's eyes, but then came the petulance Cedric was much more used to since the Princess, Elyon, had arrived to aggravate the man. "Return to the castle. I'll give it to her myself."

The Lurdens began to back away, and Cedric was unsure, if he too should leave, but Phobos smiled in a cocky manner that told Cedric he wouldn't be scorned for joining his Prince, though he stood at the door; at the top of a long narrow staircase which Phobos descended silently to reach the young girl, who'd ignored the feeble items he had collected in hope of her thanks, when Elyon had instead only told Cedric to thank her brother, and Cedric wondered how Prince Phobos had conjured so much affection when the man spent far less time than Cedric with her. It was going to ruin Cedric's back-up plan if she didn't fall, and Cedric supposed he should take notes from the dark Prince, who bent in front of Elyon's glazed, unfocussing eyes and cooed out gently words. "Elyon.."

"Pr.. Phobos..?" The young heir's eyes blinked and searched up to meet Phobos eyes and Cedric knew that if she'd almost called him 'Prince', then she mustn't see him as her brother at all, and Cedric knew that that would be why it was so easy for Prince Phobos' 'affections' to bypass her Earthly morals. If she had any. There was pure innocence and awe in Elyon's features as she looked up to a man, who would be the innocent love of her life, were he not her brother and Cedric found himself commending Phobos' act as the twenty-three year old Prince stroked his fingers onto a thirteen year old's cheek. It was incredible - that the Prince held obviously so much charm in eyes Cedric couldn't see that Elyon never seemed to think of slapping him away. Lord Cedric could certainly learn a few tricks.

"I have something.." Phobos' voice stroked through the air with an almost whispery tone as he gave Elyon a soft smile; getting her unwavering attention, if he had not already had it, before he pulled out the prize piece to her yearnings. A pale pink covered pad, which Cedric knew would undoubtedly soon hold at least one image of the Prince's face. "Here. For you."

It didn't matter to Elyon, apparently, that she had already owned the book and that it was not even a great feat to find, because when her eyes flashed onto the gift, they lit with some light that didn't seem to have anywhere to have reflected from. "Wow, my sketchbook! Thank you!"

Prince Phobos turned to flicker a knowing smile, that seemed to say something of showing off when Elyon turned around and flicked it open. But something she saw made the smile fall, and Cedric watched as Phobos too looked over her shoulder and frowned.

**...**

"This is Elyon's sketchbook.. Half a picture of a horse?" Caleb's tone was dry and Will pouted as he scrutinized the incomplete image. The girls stood a little further back, and Will wondered why they were looking at Caleb and herself so strangely. Perhaps they were wondering when the roles were reversed, with her getting annoyed as Caleb challenged her sarcastically.

"Look, I was out numbered," Will sighed tiredly as Caleb eyed her with almost as much skepticism as he had with the 'drawing', "And it's not a picture of a horse.. I think it's a face."

On that, Cornelia took the paper from Caleb's hand and retreated to the others and she heard the blonde say to Irma that it looked like maybe a map of Spain, causing a snort from Irma, and from Hay Lin a giggle, but Taranee looked up at Will instead, "So much for our 'Elyon bait'."

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><p>More later, after work :)<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

"Ooh! Candy!" Caleb rolled his eyes and looked down to Blunk before realizing that the candy wrapper the passling had picked up could've been picked up by the Lurdens; idiotistic, greedy creatures that were, unbelievably, less intelligent than passlings, who at least had the initiative to sell what they stole. A Lurden would grow bored and throw anything they'd taken away. When Blunk chewed a bit of the candy, the sniffing and scrutinizing told him that a Lurdens' salty saliva had probably infected the taste. Caleb bent down and looked seriously at the creature, who was eating the bar anyway.

"You think you can follow the scent of that?" Blunk nodded and started sniffing, while Will transformed the girls. Then Caleb ushered the girls after Blunk who step directly into the portal, but Caleb stopped when the transformed Will only looked at him. "What?"

She opened her mouth slightly then, and closed it again and he wondered what she was finding so hard to say. He'd noticed that she seemed to refuse to look at him, and Caleb felt his skin prickle with goosebumps where she'd focused her gaze, somewhere on his middle section. His hands, he realized, as he went to awkwardly scratch his head, and Will's soft, almost watery brown eyes met his gaze at last. "It's.. Nothing."

"Wi-" He stopped short when she took flight, directly into the portal; leaving him alone, standing in a bedroom covered in far too much pink. He highly doubted nothing could make her act up, and there was always a reason and it was usually to do with him, and he never found out before it went away by itself. But he refused to let it lie this time and knew exactly where it had happened. It was in the castle, once he'd left her; that or somewhere between then and meeting her at the portal, and it wasn't fear.. Nor anger.. Will just seemed.. Sketchy. It was like her usual self had been disjointed and he didn't like this Will who didn't feel that she could trust him enough to say. Caleb sighed, deciding upon tackling the daunted redhead later; he'd apologize perhaps, though he wasn't sure what he'd done wrong this time.

**...**

"Chocolate! Chocolate!" After tracking up a mountainside, coated in thick, heavy snow, Irma did not see the funny side of Blunk licking the boulder in front of her. She walked a little fast; striding towards him.

"Uh.. Blunk?" The passling looked at her and Irma bent down, smiling tensely. She was cold. Her feet were sore. And she wanted to go home. "I've trick or treated enough to know.. THAT'S A ROCK, BLOCKHEAD!"

Hay Lin giggled, and Caleb stepped forward, "No, wait! I've heard stories about Phobos having an underground bunker.."

Caleb stepped forward then and looked like he was about to kick the rock, but Cornelia stopped him and Irma raised an eyebrow - not at the blonde cracking the rock in half (in the most flirtatiously womanly manner), but at the slightly shorter redhead who'd looked up at the mention of Phobos and now appeared to have very quickly sidled up toward Caleb, as though she were almost hiding behind him, though Irma knew it was probably just Will being.. Well, Will - Caleb said often enough that Will was crazy; always making sure that she wasn't around, because Irma knew better than the other girls that he meant it in a 'good' way, and that Will would only be hurt by the sentiment. Cornelia blew the rock at the final stage and it collapsed behind her, "Glad I saved your foot?"

Caleb almost backed away at that and Irma had to bite away a laugh when he bumped into Will behind him and Caleb looked from Will to Cornelia before saying, dryly, "Ecstatic."

"Let's split up inside." Irma gave a look to Cornelia, who'd apparently taken leadership role again, but was glad to see the tall blonde look apologetically at Will for having blurt it out. Will nodded and Irma frowned, wondering if Will had always been so pale, but Will stepped forward tall, ready to lead them in.

"Five minutes max.. Then we meet. Right back here."

Irma followed in, realizing it was, if possible, colder _inside_ the evil mountain-home.


	15. Chapter 15

Hey, apologies to micky21a, and any other readers (am chuffed to know I'm gone a weekend and people are missing me) but Sunday is often my 'day off', and writing is limited as I only get to go on my brother's mac when he goes out and library is closed.. But anyways.. I'm back!

And btw, I do love a review to let me know what you like - I don't want to do anything drastic and lose readers because they don't like the W/P or anything..

* * *

><p><em>...Taranee Cook walked the claustraphobic 'hall's' of this underground bunker, wondering if Will could've possibly paired everyone up as she took a step back, into the shadows to avoid Guards who at that moment walked by...<em>

_...Irma Lair wished that she could be wearing a thick coat at that moment, as the snow chilled the air inside the mountain and the long narrow winding rock walls allowed for breezes to run cool around; chasing each of the guardians. Voices - thick and gruff echoed, and Irma took several steps back, but there was no way for her to tell until they quietened, that the echos came from far away..._

_...Hay Lin perched, hiding in a crack; a tiny indent in the rock above three guards' heads, listening to them laughing and wishing that their voices wouldn't boom throughout the place as they did..._

_...And Will. Well, Will Vandom was yet to have the scare of meeting faces of guards, but it was the prospect that the owner of this hideout; this habitat, might be watching and waiting - he did seem to know her and Will would much prefer a thousand days trapped in hell itself; raging with flames and beasts of leathery red skin, than spend mere seconds with this man again, as the bewildering charm and civil courtesy of his nature scared her far more than if he were a man with raging fires and devilish skin. Because she wouldn't know. Had Caleb not endeered a hatred for him, and were the rebellion not as clearly suffering, Will wouldn't think Prince Phobos was anything other than a royal of an earlier era to herself. It was unsettling that the man had let her go, and it almost seemed like fair play, when she knew he could kill her in an instant. He certainly should have..._

Cornelia Hale, the eldest and by far most presentable in fact, was the one who had found herself in Elyon Escanor's empty suite, and it was this fair girl who was the unluckiest, to have steel-blue eyes on her figure. But Cornelia was none the wiser, pushing open the door and stepping in. Walking around the room with beady eyes and leisurely strides, until her eyes met a familiar shade of cherise pink, and her dainty hands slid over the cover of the notebook before pulling it open, with painfully slow motion, and bending down to remove the scrapped paper from it's place, slipped into her boot. She had started to unfold the torn sheet, when Phobos' anger bubbled a little (if only for the idiocy of this girl taking such time, when he was sure any better warrior of the elements would know to work at a more encouragable pace). He'd given her fair time, and even the humour of watching the guardians', shaking in the icy refuge, was no longer commiting to him. And he doubted that he ought to be too full on and knew it was enough that he had sent the guards in the wrong direction from Will, who appeared to be closer than even Caleb, in finding where her majesty was truely stashed away. Prince Phobos waited until the guardian of Earth had joined the papers, and until tears clung at her lashes, beforecreating a window to Elyon's mirror, and scaring the girl senseless. He raised the alarm with one loud sounding horn, and sat back, relaxing as chaos would ensue.

"They know we're here.. Come with me!" Prince Phobos' eyes flashed back open to the scene of Caleb taking the girl's arm with a force Phobos could commemorate, and the perfectly structured price smiled, as guards burst into the room. Perhaps, today was the day. Perhaps, by the rising moon of Earth, Prince Phobos' garden would no longer be pitiful and empty; though the murmur room remained sealed behind a locked door whilst Phobos was entertaining the _incestuous _welt in his own room on the otherside of a door, whom's handle had been wrapped with small porcelain fingers until the sound of horns had frightened her away.

"Or you, could come with me." The sarcasm seemed bitter, and Phobos frowned as Caleb was tugged upward by the blonde, who'd only taken him by the hand and raised her other, outstretched. "EARTH!"

"GAEA!" The roof of Elyon's room curled away, and it was the last of Caleb he saw when the boy disappeared, to climb up the narrow tunnel. Not today then. But soon.


	16. Chapter 16

Cornelia was glad for the help as Caleb gently pushed her from the waste; it caused a light blush of pink, but Cornelia was simply glad not to be treated as she was sure he would have done Will - she was very thankful that Caleb had been delicate enough not to simply shove her up by her rear; no doubt how the redhead would get out in this situation. "Thanks, Caleb.."

And then she was stuck. Not in the hole - though they both stood, crammed with barely a breaths space between their lower bodies - but stuck because she'd never before quite seen a boy like Caleb, and she knew it was a lot to be said, but when a young man bravely tries to save you (even if in vain), you too would surely feel as Cornelia did now: a breath caught in her throat, and a sparkle in his eyes. It didn't help that he only raised a playful eyebrow, and breathed an uncertain word that made him only more beautiful. "Gaea..?"

And then Caleb's eyes flashed left and he jumped nearly out of her skin; prompting her to follow as she gasped up at the massive body of Cedric himself. "Leaving so soon..?"

"My parking ticket's run out." And then it was Cedric's turn, along with herself, to get a jolt of surprise; because Irma was stood, not ten feet away, a confident half smile and a pair of handfuls of water, which drained from the snow around her, quickly getting bigger. But Taranee was faster than that.

Two explosions from her bare fist, which broke apart into many, followed her loud call for her element; "FIRE!"

They weren't heading for Cedric though, and the giant snake cackled. Until it hit Cornelia what she'd done, and by Caleb's paling, apparently he'd figured it out. An explosion and shaking prequeled the thick, rolling masses of snow, that began to avalanch down, just as Cornelia looked to see Will run out, "I didn't find.. Oh.. No.."

Will took off, and immediatly Cornelia turned to Caleb, and Blunk who now seemed to have attached himself to the boy's leg, and willed the ground, which cracked around him and a ledge flew the two males into the safe bounds of air. Will flew by and Cornelia followed, taking all of them to the portal nearby.

**...**

"Everybody make it out okay?" Will surveyed the mound of entangled bodies she'd been the last to join, and counted heads as Cornelia pulled herself up and frowned.

"Everybody except Elyon."

Something caught in her throat as the bitter tone bounced around the walls, and Will could see the pain. Cornelia didn't mean anything by it, and Will was thankful that she hadn't been blamed this time - today hurt was the fuel to Cornelia's anger. Not accusation. And Will could swear that it was catching, because she hadn't known a damn thing about Elyon Brown, yet her heart sank all the same. It was tormenting, to have to watch her friend - because Cornelia was now no less than any of the others - to watch Cornelia have to suffer this loss. "Will.."

The girls had began trooping out when Caleb's voice rattled her core. He sounded hurt, and Will currently felt like crap, so she'd rather not have to be in burden of his pain, but it was probably more painful; the guilt of knowing she'd left him 'ailing', and Will closed the portal before turning with a faint smile she hoped would be comforting. But she was tired, and despite her efforts, it showed as she released her own dispirited voice. "What Caleb, we really should be.."

"Will." And then she wanted to throw up. Because there he stood, with a far more serious expression, but there was something eery when his index finger hovered over her mouth before he rethought touching her at all and slipped his hand instead into his back pocket. But she wished he'd just damn well finished what he'd started or never done it at all, because even though they were polar opposites; she couldn't help compare Caleb to Phobos at that second. Thankfully it evaporated quickly, as urgency she'd never seen from Phobos slipped over Caleb's features. "What happened."

It didn't even sound like a question the way he'd said it, and it almost made her laugh that Caleb could make such a simple pair of words sound heroic, in all his brash, exigency and insistance, but Will knew what he meant and it had sobered her before she had been humored. Will went then, and sat heavily on princess Elyon's bed; the pink and purple duvet still crumpled from her previous presense. She was about to tell him to shut the door, or that the girls would be waiting - which one she wasn't sure - but Caleb sat with a little more grace beside her, and she wondered if he'd jump back if she let her tired head rest on the boy's shoulder. She resisted the urge, and instead let her eyes rest on those of a Kangaroo named _Joey, _and willed herself not to sway. "He'd never spoken last time."


	17. Chapter 17

"I had a dream about him last night.. This night.. What time is it?" Caleb shrugged, wishing Will wouldn't scare him with this drawl of etchy language. Will usually got to the point, but she met his eyes then, and he wondered if she'd leave if he sat closer or wrapped the scrambled duvet around her, because she looked half dead in the early morning's aurora; the dawn's mist preventing the window from providing quite enough light to allow Will the grace of looking anything less than undead. "He just sat there, you know, and Cedric was the one yelling at me, and these things were looking at me without eyes.. Well, I think, they sort of.."

"Murmurers." And Suddenly Caleb knew exactly who she was talking about and his eyes stung along with his tensing features, with a passion to hatred of the Metaworld's founding Prince. "They can see you."

Will's eyes had burst wider when he'd spoken, and he wondered if she had known the name, or simply been surprised at how his voice had wavered throatily, with raw misjustice and simply hurting: it stung him that she'd if possibly turned paler when he said that. But it went away, and she shook it off; her eyes drawing to the floor with almost shame. "And I said I didn't have the Heart and he just sat there, and he didn't move. Like he didn't even hear me. And it was when Cedric sent me away, he just looked at me. Staring."

She was talking about the Oubliette and Caleb cursed himself that he'd never dared to ask her. He'd never thought to ask her and for all he'd known it could have been worse and he'd yelled at her. He'd called her more names than he actually knew and never once had Caleb even thought she might have just had the scare of her life. But it didn't seem so bad.

"I met him yesterday." Caleb's green eyes lashed to Will's, which had almost winced when he peirced her with his surprised look of a storm brewing. Modest cocoa calmed the storm - if only for the sake of him not wanting her to think he was mad at her. It had been Phobos he was thinking of. "He let me go."

"What?" Again Will seized another emotion to tug at him, as shock and awe and anger and confusion stirred, all in a bubbling pot and he wished his tell-tale eyes weren't reflected in hers.

"I d.. Dunno.. He just.. Let me.." His wish for her not to look at him became a regret when she looked down with her fumbling hands, which tugged at her bell-sleeves and only then did she -and to be truthful, _he_- seem to notice that the girls would be waiting downstairs transformed. She didn't change that fact, and his eyes roamed, to note her trousers and jacket behind him and he found himself tugging at a half-smile, despite the situation. As much as it should've scared him, to know that she was halfway naked and that godforbid she'd forgotten, Caleb found it quite funny that she was in quite such a state. "He held the door and everything, and, I mean-"

"Éfchomai den tha páei sto Meridian gymnó. Eán tha prépei na ypárchei éna próvlima pou tha échoun krýo se aftó to vounó." He knew he should say something comforting, but she seemed, anyway, to relax when his finger hit her lips to stop panic's likely ensuing. "I think I'll go downstairs and let you get dressed.."

She looked at him strangely, and he realized she really didn't remember, and he pulled up her crumpled jeans as illistration, smiling when she burst out laughing and took the desolate things so that he could leave, happy enough that his work was done.

**...**

"Guess you're still feeling pretty lousy, huh..?" Will took quaint steps down the expensive wood staircase, finding the girls -now detransformed- surrounding Cornelia, with Caleb close by aswell.

Taranee pulled Cornelia into a hug and Will smiled a little, knowing that it probably wasn't her place to intrude and end the moment by announcing her arrival, so she only slipped quietly down to join them. "You've still got us."

"Yeah.." Will reached the bottom step, just to see Cornelia's blue eyes flash to Caleb with a hint of yearn in her brimming eyes. She was glad Cornelia would have someone to help her. Caleb was a good guy, and Cornelia deserved that if that was what she needed. "Me too.. As long as you don't want to talk about girly stuff or make-up or anything.."

Thanks, you guys," Will felt a smidgen of gratitude in Cornelia's eyes flashing to her along with a breif nod, and Will trailed behind as the girls left the house, following them out the door and into the dusky light. "Well.. It's now so late it's early.. We should probably be getting to that sleepover we were meant to be having.."

"Yee-ah.." Will gave the concernedly looking Caleb a smile as the others walked away. "I think I've had enough privacy for a while too.."

**...**

"So she's not with Hay Lin either?" Susan Vandom's voice travelled through walls and Will Vandom had barely hit the matress when the doorknob began to turn and Will forced her breaths out loud and heavily. "Sorry, Mrs Lin, but I was really getting worried...Oh.. Nevermind. She's back. Thanks anyway."

Will frowned, not daring to open her eyes to the muffled rustling, until her door had reopend and her mother came in rustling then kissing her cheek - the door again clicking shut behind her. Will sat up, picking up the sheet placed beside her and groaned, _'You are grounded.' _Great.

* * *

><p><strong>Éfchomai den tha páei sto Meridian gymnó. Eán tha prépei na ypárchei éna próvlima pou tha échoun krýo se aftó to vounó. - <strong>I wish you wouldn't go to Meridian naked. If there should be a problem you'd have been cold on that mountain.

..Okay, well the rest is getting put into reminising for the next ep (special time, again) so this is the end of my longest episode yet... Thanks to Elyon.


End file.
